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Our Teachers
Principal & Director
Susan Cook
Sue Cook is the proud granddaughter of Geraldine Lamb, and her dance journey began at the Geraldine Lamb Dance School, where she was a BBO scholar. At just 11 years old, she successfully auditioned and joined the prestigious Elmhurst Ballet School.
Sue holds both the Teacher's Certificate and Diploma from the Royal Academy of Dance and is a teaching member of the ISTD and IDTA. She is also a Silver Swans Licensee and a certified teacher of Progressions in Ballet Technique. In addition, Sue has served as a trainee teacher mentor for the Royal Academy of Dance. With over 40 years of teaching experience, she was recently honored with life membership from the Royal Academy of Dance.
Sue's career has spanned both stage and screen. Her film credits include International Velvet, and her theatre credits include roles in Wind in the Willows, Peter Pan, and Night and Day. She has also collaborated on choreography alongside Wayne Sleep.
Sue is married to Chris, and together they have two grown children, both of whom have followed in her footsteps to become successful dancers. The entire Cook family remains actively involved in the running of the dance school.
Although Sue is capable of teaching all forms of dance, she now focuses primarily on ballet and overseeing the production of the school’s annual pantomime, as well as managing the school’s administration.
"I find joy in watching our students progress, grow, and develop into adults. It’s a privilege to be part of their journey. I was deeply honored to lead the school during our Centenary year in 2018."
TEACHERS
Kirsty Nicholson
Kirsty Nicholson trained at the Geraldine Lamb Dance School and continued her training at the Royal Academy of Dance gaining a BA(Hons) Degree in the Art and Teaching of Ballet. She has also qualified for her Licentiate of the RAD. Kirsty holds the associate teaching qualification of the ISTD and Acrobatic Arts level 1 teacher and Modules 1 and 2 in Alixa Flexibility. She also has BCPA level 3 qualification to teach Pilates and a further Degree in Social Studies and Criminal Justice! She has three children.
Kirsty has performed for Roy Castle and danced alongside Wayne Sleep. She has also performed at the Royal Festival Hall.
Kirsty initiated the Classes at Hyde Park Primary School and has recently introduced Acro Dance to the school all of which are extremely successful. This year she is running a pilot to offer GCSE dance to our students.
“I love teaching for the school because our pupils are keen to learn and support each other, GLDS feels like one big happy family.”
Lara Cook
Lara is Geraldine Lamb’s great-granddaughter. After training at the Geraldine Lamb Dance School, she went to Stella Mann College and then Italia Conti Arts Centre. She worked as a Redcoat while she was still at college. On leaving, she performed as a professional dancer and entertainer with Disney Cruise Line sailing all over the world. Television credits include Down to Earth with the BBC.
Lara was thrilled to be offered a place on the Royal Academy of Dance Professional Dancers Teaching Diploma, which she successfully completed in 2016. Lara is also a certified DDMIX instructor trained by Darcy Bussell. She is LAMDA registered and has successfully introduced Speech and Drama to the school. She is a teaching member of the ISTD.
Lara also teaches for the prestigious Elmhurst Ballet School in Birmingham.
Lara is our Designated Safe Guarding Officer.
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“Teaching at the Geraldine Lamb Dance School is wonderful, it's an honour to be a part of my family's business. All the students of every age bring a smile to my face, with their dedication, passion, and hard work. It's a delight to walk into class every single lesson.”
Yui Kyotani- Cook
Yui left her home in Japan at the age of 15 to pursue training at the prestigious State Ballet School of Berlin. During her training, she earned recognition as a finalist at the Australian Institute of Classical Ballet Awards and won a Silver Medal at the International Dance Festival in Berlin.
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Her professional career began with a contract as a corps de ballet dancer with the Leipzig Ballet, followed by an offer to join Moravian Ballet in the Czech Republic as a soloist. There, she performed principal roles in iconic works such as Swan Lake, La Bayadère, The Nutcracker, The Taming of the Shrew, and Romeo and Juliet, to name just a few. In addition to classical ballet, Yui also showcased her versatility in contemporary works, including Three 4 Dance and The Beatles Celebration. Her exceptional talent earned her the highly coveted Thálie Award for Best Female Dancer in the Czech Republic for her performance in Don Quixote.
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It was during her time with Moravian Ballet that Yui began teaching the Ballet School's Scholars Program, a passion she would continue to nurture further in her next role at Ballet Theatre Malaysia. As the Principal Dancer, Yui not only led the company in productions such as Carmen, The Nutcracker, and Alice in Wonderland, but also contributed as an adjudicator for various dance competitions.
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We are truly honored to welcome Yui to our team.
0ur teachers are full of ideas, both artistically and practically - ensuring the school runs smoothly. They have a wealth of professional dance & drama experience, which alongside their many years of experience teaching they love sharing.
As well as dance teachers, they are also hairdressers, costume designers, seamstresses, prop makers, cleaners, dressers, stage managers, and most importantly they are someone who our students' trust.
All our teachers hold a current DBS certificate and are insured. They also attended Continued Professional Development courses amounting to at least 20 hours a year, to ensure their qualifications are kept up to date.
Our dance school would not be what it is today without our wonderful teachers both past and present.
We can honestly say we have;
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